Sound too good to be true? Continue reading because it IS true and I did it!
After I came back from my travels and decided to stay home in Amsterdam for a while, I got bored very fast. When you have the travel bug, you just need to go places! I was very restless on what would be the next chapter for me and decided that I just needed to travel again, at all costs. That’s when I came across an amazing opportunity...
But how?
I was low on funds and would need a job while I was travelling. I had already “used up” my work visas for Australia and Canada and wanted to see a different part of the world anyway. I started doing research and eventually found what I was looking for. Working on a Cruise ship! And that is exactly what I ended up doing for next eight months.
How to apply
The first step to obtain a job on a cruise ship is knowing where and with whom you can apply.
The Cruise Ship business is absolutely booming! There are more and bigger ships joining the fleet every year. So basically, everybody can apply no matter which nationality, age, profession, or background!
The biggest ship I had the privilege of working on was home to more than 2000 employees! When you join as a guest you have absolutely no idea of how many employees bust their asses every day to give the customers the best journey of their lives. There are housekeepers, casino staff, art auctioneers, doctors, retail staff, youth staff, dancers, human recourse employees; you name it, they have it. Most of these employees you want even see during your trip!
SO EVERYBODY CAN WORK ON A CRUISE SHIP?!
Pretty much, YES Applying is incredibly simple, you just need to have the guts and motivation. Most sizable cruise lines host job fairs and others have easily accessible websites to apply on. To make it a little easier and clear, I’ve made a summary of how to go about your research and potentially applying.
Job fairs
Job fairs are hosted all around the world. During these fairs, you have a big chance of landing a job if you are really interested. It’s always easiest to meet face to face and present yourself. By doing so, the hiring process can be quicker and you are able to ask all your questions. There still is one big job fair planned this year on the 3th of November in Liverpool, UK. I personally like fairs because you can meet actual staff and former staff, they can motivate you and you can ask questions to find out if working on a cruise ship is suitable for you!
Websites
The cruise ship business is a curious business and it's incredibly hard to get into as a new company, therefore there are a couple market leading cruise ship companies.
All of these market leaders employ tens of thousands of workers. I will name the biggest companies and will tell you a little about their target group, so you can maybe find your favorite to apply for!
Royal Caribbean
Contact: https://www.royalcaribbean.com/
Info:
My former employer, the company owns 25 ships that are sailing around the world. A number that continues to increase. You can apply via the website.
The company is known for driving innovation at sea and has debuted countless industry “first” such as rock climbing, ice skating and surfing at sea.
Founded in 1969
39.000 Employees
Carnival
Contact: https://www.carnival.com/
Info:
Carnival owns 24 ships and also sails the whole world.
Known for the amount of activities they host for their crew.
Compared to Royal Caribbean, Carnival is more orientated on young families with kids. Their price point is a little bit more customer friendly than that of Royal Caribbean.
Each year Carnival operates 1500 sailings.
Holland America Line
Contact: https://www.hollandamerica.com/
Info:
This cruise line is known as a bit high end, their customers are mostly elderly and they offer more longer cruises.
Part of their yearly itinerary is the world cruise they offer, sailing all around the world!
Holland America line spends an average of $4million on art work per ship
On Holland America, there is housekeeping for the crew cabins and there is less pressure on staff.
The process
After you find a position that you think suits you, the process of applying is the next step. This process consists of three parts and you can launch it by sending in your resume off course! Mostly all cruise lines will invite you for a Skype interview if they are interested.
During the first interview their main goal is to learn more about you and to see whether or not you meet have the required skillset for the specific position you are applying to. During the Skype conversation, it is obviously perfectly normal to ask questions yourself. If they like what they see and they believe you are a good fit, they will most likely invite you for a second Skype call.
The main goal of the second call is to inform you about the life onboard. The interviewer is also able to hire you during this call! The interviewer can tell you more about living aboard, your benefits, pay and contract. Don’t be surprised if everything goes super-fast. I got hired within a week!
After you land the job, you are required to do a physical exam at one of the assigned hospitals around the world. They will check your hearing and eyesight and you are required to do some small tests, nothing major, just compulsory conditions. The next step is for them to send you the contract and assign you to one of their ships! Exciting times…
Earnings
Logically, everybody wants to know how much you are going to get paid. Most jobs have a very low base wage, but come with really good commissions. Everything depends on the company and the ship that you are on, but these are the estimates per month:
Waiter $800-1400
Housekeeping $800-1400
Retail Shops $1000-1500
Retail assistant manager $1200-2500
Retail manager $1500-8000
Dancer $2000-3000
Spa $1500-2500
Casino $1000-2000
Shore excursions $1500-2000
Art auctioneer $2000-4000
Commission and structure may differ between the companies but what most companies do have in common is the fact that: meals and accommodation are included. For young people especially, these costs eat up most of one's monthly budget, so this basically means that YOU ARE ABLE TO SAVE ALMOST EVERYTHING YOU EARN!
Not a vacation
I know I make it sound easy to land a job because it really is, even if you are not a native speaker.
I worked as an assistant manager in retail and worked with 20 different nationalities in all different age categories, an awesome learning experience.
But I also have to be honest about my experience; it’s hard work!
Because
It is mentally tough
You don’t have much privacy
You eat sleep & live together
The days are VERY long, think 12-16 hours work days for 6-7 days a week.
Altogether it was definitely worth the hard work, it’s a wonderful experience and you get to see places you thought only existed in photographs!! I certainly fulfilled my goal of travelling, seeing new places and increasing my travel fund drastically.
I decided to leave the ship life after my 8 month contract although I won’t say that this is the end. I’m still contemplating taking another job at a cruise ship again in the near future. If you want more information about how to land a job, please contact me and I will be more than happy to help you out! Hopefully I have inspired you to consider a life at sea!
Remember: COMING BACK IS NOT THE SAME AS NEVER LEAVING.